Social distancing begins in central region

A take-away coffee shop in Đà Nẵng. All online and take-away food and coffee shops will be closed from April 2 as social distancing sets in to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. — VNS Photo Công Thành

CENTRAL REGION — Online and take-away food and coffee shops will shut down from April 2 following a decision released on Wednesday in response to the Prime Minister’s social distancing decision.

Only chemists, food stores, supermarkets, petrol stations, banks, and power, water supply and telecommunications services will be allowed to stay open.

Also on Tuesday, eight bus routes were closed to limit travel and close contact among people. Offices were warned to work online or cut office-based staff by 50 per cent.

Bus routes connecting Đà Nẵng with Thừa Thiên-Huế and Quảng Nam have been shut, while only one daily return flight will be operated from Đà Nẵng to Hà Nội and HCM City, respectively.

More than 900 people were being monitored at medical centres, households and hotels, while 4,991 people had completed their isolation time as of today. In total 2,034 had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

In Quảng Nam Province, social distancing began in all city, districts and communes from Wednesday.

Eight checkpoints have been set up to provide heath checks and declarations for all passengers from other provinces or foreign countries travelling to the province.

The province has been isolating 615 foreigners and 246 Vietnamese nationals who had close contact with COVID-19 positive cases. More than 1,100 people had finished their quarantine periods as of Wednesday, while 702 samples had tested negative.

Two quarantine centres have been set up in Quảng Ngãi Province providing 800 beds for possible cases of COVID-19. A donation of 1,000 face mask was made by Thiên Tân company to contribute in to fight against the pandemic. No cases of the virus have been confirmed in the province thus far.

Thừa Thiên-Huế Province on Tuesday welcomed 700 Vietnamese workers returning from Laos. They have been taken to isolation sites for further health checks and monitoring for two weeks as regulated.

The province has 5,300 people in isolation centres, and 1,059 medical samples out of 1,625 have tested negative for COVID-19.

Huế Central Hospital has been caring for two COVID-19 patients (no 30 and 31). Earlier, two patients were released from the hospital. — VNS